Chilean zoo celebrates birth of 5 white tigers

(AP) — The Chilean National Zoo is celebrating the birth of a rare litter of five white tigers.

Zoo director Mauricio Fabry said Thursday that the zoo will build a special habitat to accommodate the tigers born on Dec. 28.

He said that the new enclosure will include a large expanse of grass and waterfalls and will be without bars.

On Wednesday, zoo officials implanted subcutaneous chips in the cubs to identify them.

The tigers' father is Pampa, who arrived from Argentina in 2007. The mother is Luna, who arrived at the zoo from Mexico in 2004.

The couple produced a litter of three white tigers in December 2007, but the zoo hasn't seen a litter of five in 82 years.

The tigers' white fur is the result of a rare gene mutation.

Fabry says there are only 200 such tigers on the planet.

(This version CORRECTS reference from pups to cubs.)